A SICK dog killer who was forced to leave a village after he slashed a collie's throat in a drunken frenzy is now living in Runcorn, the Weekly News can reveal.

Derek Ford was driven out of Gosforth in Cumbria after he cut the throat of his pet dog and left it to die.

He fled to the town after villagers damaged his car, threatened him and banned him from his local pub. Now he is living in Windmill Hill.

Magistrates in Whitehaven heard how 50-year-old Ford attacked border collie Jess in front of his partner's young children.

He admitted cruelly torturing the dog after a heavy drinking session, and will be sentenced on June 11.

Magistrate Ian Killip described Ford's behaviour as 'disturbing' and the thug will be banned from owning animals if an RSPCA application is successful.

The court heard how Ford had been drinking in Gosforth with his partner for most of the day on April 24.

As they returned home, with Ford 'heavily under the influence', they started arguing.

An enraged Ford stormed outside and said he was going to 'slice the dog's throat', prosecutor Jane MacRill said.

He then picked the dog up by the scruff of the neck and, with an eight-inch long knife, stabbed it two or three times on its thigh .

He then raised the knife and, in one movement, slit the collie's throat.

The wounded dog ran away from Ford and cowered behind a parked car. It later died from its injuries.

When police were called to the scene they found Ford lying down, hiding behind the vehicle. He was not co-operative with officers, and, as he stepped forward, he was bitten by a police dog and sprayed with CS gas.

He told police the collie had psychological problems and its restlessness was causing arguments between Ford and his partner.

He remembered 'losing it' and admitted inflicting cruelty on the animal but could not remember using the knife.

Ian Nancollis, defending, said his client had suffered from a long-standing stress-related illness which had been exacerbated recently by his heavy drinking.

He had taken in troublesome animals in the past and had been praised for the way he had rehabilitated them, he said.

The court heard that Ford's car had been vandalised and he had been banned from the village pub for fear of violent recriminations towards him since the incident.

'He had to move to Runcorn because of this ill-feeling,' Mr Nancollis said, adding that some people in Gosforth were 'unable to control their anger'.

'I don't think he can apologise enough for the way he has behaved. He had always prided himself on having animals. This is clearly an appalling incident and one that he very deeply regrets,' said the solicitor.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing for a pre-sentence report to be prepared.